The unreleased and upcoming encylopaedia Zelda, The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, has already taken the top spot on the Amazon book listing with two days of it being available for pre-purchase. The book on the top spot of this chart before that was the erotic literature fanfiction novel: Master of the Universe50 Shades of Gray, which has been available for 105 days.
This just goes to show the amount of buying power that the fanbase behind the Zelda series has. I know that us here at Capsule Computers will probably be buying a copy each at some point and you should all check out the Amazon top 100 ranking to see for yourself.
Users of the Raptr service may be interested to know about the latest offering in their Rewards program. The Raptr service is a service that follows gamers rankings in an online system that includes all platforms. This current reward in the rewards program is open to players in the top 80% bracket.
Up to 5,000 Users will be selected from this bracket to receive a Steam code for the arena-shooter, Nexuiz, for themselves and 4 friends; as well as a DLC code each for the upcoming duel-mode DLC. For players who do not know about Nexuiz, it started life as a shooter based on the Quake 3 source code, but after some internal scuffle, some of the lead designers left the project and then it was ported over to the beautiful Crytek engine, CryEngine 3.
The code will not give gamers the game for free, rather, they will be eligible for 75% off the titles price. The competition is on the 21st of August and players should check out the official site for more info.
Persona 4 Arena Developers: Atlus, Arc System Works Publisher: Atlus Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 (Reviewed) Release Date: August 7, 2012 Price: $59.99 – Available Here
Overview: If you asked a fan of the Persona series what they thought the next entry in the franchise would have been about, they may have guessed another RPG, or maybe another anime spin-off of some sort. One thing that most likely no Persona fan would have guessed would be the fact that the next Persona product out of Atlus would actually be a Persona fighting game featuring the cast of Persona 4 as well as members of Persona 3. Now that this fighting game has hit stores in North America, does this unexpected title earn the Persona name?
Story: It is a sad thing in fighting genre today that more often than not, this little section of the review would usually either be non-existent or barely worth mentioning. However with Persona 4 Arena, we not only see a full-fledged story mode but one that is actually quite lengthy and enjoyable, especially for fans of the Persona 4 series.
The story takes place two months after the events of Persona 4 and the Investigation Team has settled back down into a mostly normal life, with the main character from Persona 4, Yu Narukami, living in another city. However this group of high schoolers who grew close during the events of Persona 4 planned to meet up during their Golden Week holiday off of school to reminisce and spend time with one another again.
However, the day before they get together, the characters begin hearing rumors about the Midnight Channel starting back up. After checking out the rumors, the team quickly discovers that the Midnight Channel has indeed returned and this time around it is showing an advertisement for a fighting tournament called the “P-1 Grand Prix.” To make matters worse, not only does this ad show the members of the team fighting one another, but after further investigation they discover some of their friends have already gone missing.
In an effort to save their friends and put a stop to this new Midnight Channel, the Investigation Team once again enter the TV world to figure out what is happening. Inside the team will encounter not only past characters from Persona 3 but also a new fighter woman named Labrys. It is worth noting that Labrys and Persona 3’s characters are actually rather tightly knit when it comes to story development, which will be great for those who played Persona 3, though those only familiar with Persona 4 may be a little in the dark.
As for the story mode itself, the system is designed very similar to what players were presented in Arc System Works’ other popular fighting game, BlazBlue. The player will have to select one character at a time and then follow their story events as they unfold from the selected character’s viewpoint, with more playable storylines unlocked upon initial character completion. Along the way players will encounter a number of one-round, usually easy to win, battles though these fights are often few and far between the actual story itself.
The story is told in a visual novel style which means that at times there will be plenty of text to read and listen to. With only a few battles actually occurring within each character’s story this means that most of the storyline is presented with simple dialogue, though this seems rather standard considering at its heart Persona is still a story driven game. As such players will find themselves right at home with the long story sections in-between fights as Persona 4 Arena offers a storyline more compelling than most standard action games to date.
Unfortunately Persona 4 Arena does have a small issue which could become a glaring problem for some people. As mentioned earlier, while Persona fans will become enraptured learning more about what happened to their favorite characters and seeing them once again, those who haven’t played any Persona games are coming into a storyline that isn’t familiar to them. Only a minimal effort is given to explain why each character is in their current situation or even what the Midnight Channel is, so anyone invested in trying out Persona 4 Arena’s story mode should be well versed in at least Persona 4 for maximum enjoyment.
Despite this, as a standalone product Persona 4 Arena’s story goes above and beyond the call of duty for a fighting game by offering legitimate progression and even some character development, something practically unheard of in the fighting genre. All this makes Persona 4 Arena’s story one of the biggest draws of the title as it offers hours of game time without even touching the title’s multiplayer modes.
Visuals: When Persona 4 Arena was being developed, the animators must have quite literally went into overtime when they began creating the game. Practically everything within the title is of the best quality possible. The menus themselves and pre-fight introductions never get old while the story cutscenes, background art and character portraits (although lip-synch is practically non-existent) are like eye-candy with how stunning they appear.
The fights themselves feature highly detailed 2D sprites that are duking it out with one another featuring brightly colored and flashy moves that can take up the whole screen. Everything about Persona 4 Arena’s presentation is polished practically to perfection, making it one of the best looking fighting games to date.
Audio: For the purists out there, you have no reason to be concerned as Persona 4 Arena does feature both the Japanese and English dub, so those who prefer that option do have the ability to listen to it. As for the English cast most of the cast has returned to voice their characters, though a couple have changed since Persona 4. The voice actors provide perfect dialogue work which is great considering the game’s lengthy story mode.
Gameplay: Outside of the fleshed out story mode mentioned above, Persona 4 Arena has a number of other gameplay modes to keep players entertained. For a more condensed and lackluster story presentation players can jump into an Arcade Mode with each character. Players can also take on friends/computers in a Versus mode battle, attempt to set a high score in the absolutely brutal Score Attack Mode (always set to extremely high difficulty), attempt to work out 30 complex combo attacks for each character in Challenge Mode or even take the fight online.
Once the player actually chooses a mode to play, there are a moderate amount of fighters to choose from, though each and every one of them handles differently with completely different fighting styles and moves. Close up fighters may find Chie to their liking while ranged fighters could find themselves using Yukiko or Aigis instead. There is even an oddball character with strange moves in the form of Teddie, providing multiple options for the picky fighter.
Once the player enters into a battle with their chosen character, there are really only four attack buttons that the player will need to be concerned about, though these buttons also happen to control two characters. Two of the four buttons control the selected character’s attacks with weak and strong hits, while the other two control the selected character’s Persona attacks. This creates a small tag fighting mechanic that allows players to combine their character and Persona’s attacks into a powerful multi-hit combo. It is worth noting that Personas can actually be temporarily broken and made unusable for a small time, as they feature a four card HP bar that is dropped by one each time they are hit.
While the basis of Persona 4 Arena’s fighting is rather simple to understand, there are a number of more complicated tactics and mechanics to understand to truly master the title. These things include instant blocks, air-recoveries, all-out attacks, an Awakened state which provides more skill points for powerful attacks and even status ailments like poison, paralysis or fear which will limit player’s actions or cause other issues similar to what they would do in the RPG.
As standard with a fighting game, every member of Persona 4 Arena’s cast has their own special moves which mostly draw from the aforementioned Skill Point bar which fills up whenever the player deals or receives damage, there is even a finishing blow styled skill which provides a flashy finish to an already almost won battle. These special moves are actually rather simplistic to pull off with only minor stick twirling and button pressing. This makes special moves very simple for newcomers to understand and get used to while also offering more advanced fighters a chance to combine these flashy moves into complicated attacks.
Mastering some of these complicated attacks can certainly help a player once they enter Persona 4 Arena’s Online Mode. As one may expect, players can fight in ranked matches or simple player matches and thankfully the title’s netcode seems to work nearly flawlessly with fast match finding and barely any actual lag in the fights themselves. It is also worth noting that players can even set up their own title to be shown off to others online while they fight, giving players a small chance to create an online identity.
Overall: Persona 4 Arena is something that no one was expecting would come out of Atlus or Arc System Works but the finished product is one of the best fighting games that I have played to date. With a highly accessible control scheme and a deep story mode to draw them in, this fighting title provides a Persona fan with everything they could ask for.
As for non-fans of the series the tight fighting mechanics and varied roster will offer plenty of options for those simply coming for the fighting itself. Featuring an easy to learn but difficult to master system, fighting fans will find themselves entranced as they take their battles online in this beautifully presented game. Ultimately, Persona 4 Arena may not be what fans expected, but it is certainly a stand-out example of an amazing fighting game that will please both the fighting community and Persona fans.
Develpoer Candygun Games’ new robbery title Dollar Dash will be launching on PSN, Xbox Live Arcade, and PC this October, publisher Kalypso Media announced. This official statement below:
“Dollar Dash is a frenetic, multiplayer digital game that has players in the role of a cartoon thief who must make use of extravagant weapons to grab bags of cash and deposit it in a getaway vehicle before it disappears. Developed by Candygun Games, Dollar Dash offers a huge amount of customization and personalization as players attack, defend, and outrun their fellow thieves with comedic tactics to achieve victory.”
Dollar Dash will launch with drop-in and drop-out online and offline multiplayer for up to two to four players. The game will have a total of three game modes that are said to be hilarious, and it will also feature loads of customization options to help make the robber to your liking. Now go grab your loot bags and get to robbing.
It seems that we may be getting a WiiU version of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. According to the Linkedln page of a tester for Treyarch named Randall, QA testing for Black Ops II has been in the works since May. His responsibilities included:
“QA testing on PS3 and Wii U, multiplayer testing while collaborating with team, ad hoc testing, and regression. Bug writing, research, and documentation are performed with each issue that is found.”
This is not the first time we have heard rumors of Black Ops 2 releasing on Nintendo’s next generation console due to magazine scans and comments suggesting this. Also, there is more evidence implying this because video game analyst Michael Pachter recently predicted that Nintendo developed its WiiU Pro Controller specifically to convince Activision to make a Wii U version of Call of Duty.
Activision has made no comment yet so stay tuned for more information regarding this matter.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 releases on the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC on November 13, 2012, with a WiiU version predicted to come out sometime during the console’s launch window.
I’m the kind of guy who listens to the audio commentary on things I love, and The Simpsons is right up there. One concept I’ve heard come up regularly in those commentaries is what they call “rubber-band reality”: the way that the creators can move bits of Springfield around at will, to serve a story or an individual joke. That’s why in one episode, the Power Plant parking lot backs up to the Simpsons’ yard, for a joke about how far away Homer has to park. Or in the movie, where Moe’s and the church are suddenly neighbours, so the patrons of each venue can flee into the other when townwide devastation is imminent. Consistency be damned!
EA’s iOS app, The Simpsons: Tapped Out, lets you play with that rubber band however you want, through a city-building sim. You want to put the Simpsons’ house next door to Moe’s? I’m sure Homer has no problem with that.
The story goes that Homer has accidentally wiped out Springfield in a nuclear meltdown, and must reconstruct it from scratch. In the process, he will discover where the citizens have been hiding, and get them performing tasks to earn donuts to expand the town.
The app was actually released a few months ago, but was pulled from the store due to bugs and severe lag. Apparently it’s been fixed up, and EA have re-released it. So far, it’s only available on the US iTunes app store, but we’ve been promised that it’ll be rolled out to other regions “soon”. How soon remains to be seen, but when it gets to Australia, I’ll jump right on that.
New Super Mario Bros. 2 Developer: Nintendo Publisher: Nintendo Platform: Nintendo 3DS Release Date: August 19, 2012 Price: $39.99 – BUY NOW
Overview
New Super Mario Bros. 2 is the successor to the blockbuster for the DS known as New Super Mario Bros., which was released all the way back in 2006. To date, this makes the 3rd in the line of “New” themed Mario titles, which offers a throwback experience to the franchise with 2D styled gameplay and 6 magical little worlds. To dampen the repetition that one might expect, Nintendo are offering up a new gimmick of coin collecting, as well as a brand new Coin Rush Mode that works with the 3DS’ Streetpass function. There really isn’t much question if we’d expect New Super Mario Bros. 2 to be solid, but does it do enough to stand out to warrant a purchase?
Gameplay
After Peach is kidnapped by the Koopa Kids, Mario must set out on a journey to save his damsel in distress. You know the story, as we’ve seen it time and time again but I must say that 27 years after the original, it still puts a smile on my face to see Princess Peach whisked across each world as our round little plumber makes chase. Much like the…well…everything within New Super Mario Bros. 2, the layout within is also very familiar, as players simply platform across each level until they reach the flag, facing a mid and main boss within each set of levels before progressing forward. Yes, its nothing too flashy or special compared to the heights this franchise has climbed, but in true Mario style, the journey to the finish is what makes this coin-filled adventure shine.
Controls for a Mario game are never too difficult, and not surprisingly the quality continues with this title as players are given a simplistic yet solid control scheme to jump onto moving ledges, paddle through scenic underwater routes, and plop through those classic warp pipes. The slide pad yet again proves its worth by making the experience feel effortless, while the face buttons are all mapped out intuitively, allowing for easy access to newcomers and veterans alike. Mario still boasts all of his usual standard abilities, such as picking up and tossing Koopa shells, while retaining his latter learned tricks such as wall jumps and ground pounds. The wall jumps work especially well when the player finds themselves plummeting towards a pit, as all that is needed out of the player is to muster up a quick bounce off a wall in order to rocket upwards and get back to sturdy ground.
As far as those famed power-ups go, players can expect to see fire-flowers, mushrooms, stars, and 1-UPs scattered throughout their quest. Making a return this time around is the Super Leaf from Super Mario Bros. 3 as well, which now lets this newer Mario fly throughout levels after a quick run and jump. I think we all remember how awesome it felt to get a Super Leaf years ago, and that epic feeling of flight holds true even more so within these levels as any area can be revisited at a moments notice, leaving the player with several opportunities to float back in and search for more coins and secrets.
Speaking of coins, gold is truly where New Super Mario Bros. 2 attempts to define itself from the rest of the lot. Players have always collected coins to get an extra life in Mario games, and you honestly could just do that an get a good portion of entertainment here. The thing is, the completionist in my own self could not leave one coin behind. You see, as you play, each coin you collect is counted at the bottom of the screen. As you reach higher numbers, the game will take a moment to congratulate you on your feats, while trying to get the player to aim for one million in total. This number is high and could take several playthroughs to hit, but there are more than enough tools to assist you on your quest for coins.
New power-ups such as the golden flower turn Mario into solid gold, and every fireball he fires out transforms both bricks and enemies into coins. The golden block can also appear from time to time, giving our hero a block of gold for a head that feeds players more coins for speeding through a stage. Mario can also get the Koopas and other foes into the giving act as well, turning everyone into gold and collecting the coin projectiles they vomit profusely. Yes, it’s different and definitely gimmicky, but I personally became obsessed with snagging up every cent as this formula is both addictive and enjoyable. Coin Rush mode adds to this collect-a-thon, giving the player one life to get through three random stages. Of course the purpose is to get as much gold as possible – and to test the strengths and skills of passing players as they battle to top your score.
Those who have friends will also be able to complete the game via co-op with Luigi through multi-card local play. Now, I do feel like an online mode would have been ideal for this type of game, but local has it’s own benefits so most should have no problem buddying up to get some extra life out of their experience.
Visuals and Audio
Bright, colorful, and warm are the words that best describe the energetic worlds within New Super Mario Bros. 2. Every world is full of life and animation, pulling the player into green flowery fields, hot pools of Lava, and menacing Boo houses. Yeah, I know…we have seen these same type of designs three times now (four if you count the similar yet still wonderful Super Mario 3D Land), but it’s hard to hate perfection. The 3D effect however does very little to improve this aesthetic, except for adding a little more “pop” to the moving environments in the background. Considering that this game is a 2D platformer, most should be able to easily overlook that very minor shortcoming.
As far as the soundtrack goes, not much has changed. Each level is still treated to the same tunes we have heard time and time again, but this is Mario and as I stated, you really don’t need to fix what isn’t broken. Mario still lets out his little howls when dying or claiming a flag, and all of those classic sound effects have lingered in to make sure the nostalgic crowd will feel right at home when collecting power-ups or chomping up the delicious coins.
Overall
Everywhere I go, I hear people saying that New Super Mario Bros. 2 is a rehash, or that it has been done too many times. Both statements may be true to an extent, but I feel that the best rebuttal to those critics is simply… “why not?“. This is the first entry of the “New” Mario series on the 3DS, and one of near perfection that nails every aspect it effortlessly delivers from beginning to end. The new coin collection gimmick is a superb one that not only fits in perfectly, but also pours incentive to keep on playing the game long after that final castle has been cleared. If Nintendo know anything, it’s that their fans love nostalgia, which is exactly what this game and the “New” series as a whole plays to. Collecting coins, stomping Koopas, and saving the Princess won’t keep Mario’s grey hairs disguised, but those looking for some guaranteed entertainment and quality are sure to find it in yet another golden delivery from the world’s favorite mustached plumber.
Microsoft and 343 Industries proudly released a new Halo 4 video today which provides a look behind the scenes at the making of Halo 4 while also comparing it to how a movie is made.
Launching on Nov. 6, 2012 exclusively on Xbox 360, Halo 4 is the next blockbuster installment of the iconic franchise that has shaped entertainment history and defined a generation of gamers. Developed by 343 Industries, Halo 4 continues the story of the series’ iconic hero the Master Chief as he returns to confront his destiny and face an ancient evil that threatens the fate of the entire universe. Halo 4 takes the series in a bold new direction by delivering its most epic and exploration-filled campaign yet, alongside an emotionally resonant story and a groundbreaking multiplayer offering unlike anything before it, which will set the stage for an epic new sci-fi saga.
The “Halo 4” Limited Edition, announced earlier today, maximizes your multiplayer experience and puts you in the boots of a Spartan-IV aboard the UNSC Infinity – the hub of your “Halo” multiplayer career. The “Halo 4” Limited Edition includes:
War Games Map Pack Access – The Limited Edition includes access to nine maps – three future competitive multiplayer map packs, each including three locations, available for download post-launch on Xbox LIVE. (A detailed release schedule for the map packs will be announced at a later time)
Specializations – Receive early access to six Specializations, available at launch on Xbox LIVE, to achieve higher ranks in your Spartan career. Purchasers of the “Halo 4” Limited Edition will get access on launch day, while others will have to wait as Specializations are released over time.
UNSC Infinity Briefing Packet – Includes an armor customization schematic, a blueprint of the massive ship itself, and insight into what it means to be one of humanity’s finest warriors: the Spartan-IVs.
The Limited Edition will also feature the following exclusive digital content-
Spartan-IV “Recruit” In-Game Armour
Spartan-IV “Prime” In-Game Armour Skin
Assault Rifle “Prime” In-Game Weapon Skin
“Prime” In-Game Emblem
Xbox LIVE Avatar “Recruit” Armour
Cryo-Tube Xbox LIVE Avatar Prop
“Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn” Special Edition – An extended 90-minute version of the live-action digital series that will bring the “Halo” universe to life as you’ve never seen it, and provide an enthralling backstory leading up to the events of “Halo 4.”
-“Halo 4” Limited Edition also includes the following bonus videos:
-Bonus in-fiction content expanding the characters and stories of “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn”
-Special Featurette: Bringing Gaming into Reality
-Making of “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn”
The also announced that the “Halo 4” War Games Map Pass will be released as a stand alone product that will include access to nine multiplayer maps that will be released post launch. The season pass also includes three in-game exclusives which are the Spartan-IV “Scanner” and “Strider” Helmets and then also the “Falcon” in-game emblem. The map pass will be available for purchase at the same time as Halo 4 launches.
The “Halo 4” Limited Edition will be released on November 6, 2012 for $100 and for those restricted spenders, you will be able to pick up the standard edition for $60 at the same time.
If you ever thought that you just didn’t have enough news or media when it comes to Bethesda and all of the game’s that they happen to develop or publish, but don’t want to look at various other websites and learn from second hand sources?
Well you will be happy to hear that Bethesda has launched a new website called Bethsoft.com which allows for easy access to info, screenshots and trailers for all of their games, both recently released, upcoming and old. But you know, you should totally still visit our site for Bethesda news as well as other information because…reasons…
The “Halo 4” Limited Edition, announced earlier today, maximizes your multiplayer experience and puts you in the boots of a Spartan-IV aboard the UNSC Infinity – the hub of your “Halo” multiplayer career. The “Halo 4” Limited Edition includes: